Sermon for 4/1/2020: Midweek Lent V (UnChristian World Series)

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Christianity in an UnChristian World: Glory

I Peter 5

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

           

As he addressed these Christians living in an unChristian world, Peter directs the attention of his scattered flock to the glory Christ promised. This is important. After all, it is quite easy in the midst of trials and suffering to focus only on the struggle; to be unable look beyond the problems. When there seems to be no end in sight, when you do not even know how you’re going to make it to tomorrow, it is easy to wallow in self-pity and resignation and think about nothing else.

            Peter knew it. He was, as he says, “a witness of the sufferings of Christ.” He saw Jesus arrested while Peter was still wiping the sleep from his eyes. He saw Jesus on trial while Peter was busy denying Him. And then he saw Jesus hung on the cross; He saw Jesus dead, and he was too scared to help take down his Friend and bury him. He knew the terror of hiding behind locked doors with his friends and thinking he was next. He knew what it was like to be arrested and abused for following Jesus. If anyone knew what those scattered Christians were going through, it was Peter.

            Though they are suffering now, he reassures them. “When the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” Of course, Peter is talking about the Last Day when Jesus comes again in glory. But there’s another layer that can help us now. Think about Peter on that Easter night. He had witnessed the sufferings of Christ and was living with his own cowardice and guilt. And then the chief Shepherd appeared. Locked doors couldn’t stop Him. He gave His disciples peace, not fear; forgiveness, not punishment; hope, not despair; joy, not sorrow. Everything Peter needed, Jesus provided, for the chief Shepherd is alive and caring for His flock.

            He continues to care for His flock today. He does that now, after His ascension, through His elders, the biblical word for pastors. Peter wants those pastors, those undershepherds, to do what Jesus, the chief Shepherd, had done for him. He wants pastors to give them the Word of peace, forgiveness, hope, and joy. He wants pastors to preach to the flock that the victory has already been won, that there will be an end to the suffering, to sin, to the scattering. When the chief Shepherd appears, it will be the same for the flock just as it was for Peter that night. So Peter tells the pastors, “As a fellow elder...shepherd the flock of God that is among you.” Wherever the flock is, whatever form the ministry takes, be there as Christ for them so that they will not be alone.

            Peter then adds this admonition: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility.” Though Peter may be speaking to the pastors, it applies to all of us. Pride is the great enemy of faith. Pride has two dangers: thinking too much of self and too little of others, and trusting too much to your own abilities and strength. Those are the enemies of faith because faith always looks outward; faith always looks to God in faith and to others in love. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” God humbles the proud so that we will instead turn to Him in repentance. God humbles us so that we trust only Him and His strength and forgiveness.

            But while God opposes the proud, He gives grace to the humble. Peter urges his flock, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.” His hand, not yours, is mighty. He, not you, will lift up. Humble yourself under Him in faith and trust. “Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.” He truly does care for you. Do you need more proof than the cross? He cares for you. The devil certainly doesn’t; He is looking to divide and devour you. The world does not care for you; it is often the cause of your suffering and anxiety. But your God and chief Shepherd does care for you. And at the proper time, “He Himself will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you,” because He “has called you to His eternal glory in Christ.” He has called you by the Gospel, baptized you into His flock, and has promised you eternal glory. Locked doors could not stop Jesus from appearing to Peter and his frightened friends; and no grave will stop Him. What He has promised, He will do. For “to Him belongs all dominion”—all power and authority and rule and strength—“forever and ever. Amen.”

            A letter which began with the certainty of baptism now ends with its fulfillment. It is a letter of encouragement, for it will never be easy to live as Christians in an unchristian world, especially as that world becomes increasingly anti-Christian and opposed to the truth. Satan is an equal opportunity attacker. The world around you will always hate you as much as it hates your Lord. Your own sinful flesh will constantly battle against the new man in you. But in the midst of all that is Christ, who has planted His cross into the earth like a battle flag and has claimed the victory. That victory is given to you and all the faithful through the Word preached, through the Word in the water of baptism, through the Word in your mouth in bread and wine. This glorious victory is now hidden in these ordinary means, but the Day is coming—coming soon—in the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly.” In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

Sermon for 3/18/2020: Midweek Lent III (UnChristian World Series)

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Christianity in an UnChristian World: Love

I Peter 3

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

           

Looking at our lives as Christians in an unChristian world, Peter writes of husbands and wives. These verses cause no small amount of contention in our time, because the world reads them and considers them demeaning to women. If taken out of the context of the rest of Scripture, perhaps they might be. But when one speaks of husbands and wives in the Bible, always standing there is Christ and His Bride, the Church. Human marriages are to be images of that relationship. Picture a husband who loves his bride so much that he willingly lays down his life for her; picture a bride who willingly submits herself in return to her husband—though never forcibly. In such a relationship, both husband and wife are raised up. 

            Peter points to Abraham and Sarah as an example, which has no small amount of irony for us. We know that Sarah was a very beautiful woman, which is why Abraham seemed to be always afraid that someone else was going to kill him and take her for a wife. And yet, Peter says, she is an example not of outward beauty but of inward, “the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,” whose “hope was in God.” Because of her trust in God, she submitted herself to Abraham, even calling him “lord.” This doesn’t mean she never spoke up or stood up for herself; we know she did, telling Abraham to send Hagar and her son Ishmael away. The Lord told Abraham to listen to her and do what she said! But in calling Abraham “lord” and submitting to him, there is the acknowledgement that the Lord had given her to Abraham and Abraham to her. Her heavenly Father was working good for her through Abraham’s calling as her husband. And so she sees the Lord in her husband. Once again we see a picture of Christ and His Bride, the Church, who calls Him “Lord” and “Savior;” we expect every good from Him.

            And there is more irony with Abraham. Peter writes, “Husbands are to live with their wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel.” Abraham did not seem to do this. Twice, out of fear for his own life, he allows Sarah to be taken and almost made the wife of rulers: first the Pharaoh of Egypt, and then Abimelech, King of Gerar. Abraham was a sinner too. Today, the world would be upset that these verses that call the woman “the weaker vessel,” and yet the world would ignore the fact that these verses tell us that women should be “shown honor.” Husbands are to treat their wives as precious and worthy of being shown such honor. These verses have nothing to do with power and physical strength, and everything to do with how we regard one another. Again, consider how valuable and precious Christ considers His Bride and how He has honored her. In the same way, as Peter says, “All of you have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”

            That is what we should do. That is how our life together should be. But just as was the case with Abraham, it isn’t always so for you. We are sinners who commit grave sins. And that is why, at the end of this chapter, Peter points once again to Jesus. There is our hope. The righteous One died for the unrighteous ones, “that he might bring us to God.” He did that in His death, resurrection, and ascension. He took the punishment for our sins. He broke open the grave. He who perfectly submitted Himself here in this life has now ascended; “all powers have been subjected to Him.”

            All this has been given you in your baptism, and “baptism now saves you.” This washing removes the stain of sin from your soul. That water unites you with Christ in His death and resurrection. It is where you receive Him and all that He died to give you. You are safe in Christ, saved in the water. You are safe, forgiven, and protected in your heavenly Bridegroom.

            The baptized are united in Christ, Christians in an unChristian world. That life is going to look quite different than those of the world and what they’re used to. Since that is the case, “Always be prepared to make a defense”—to give an explanation—“to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Tell them of Christ and His forgiveness and the new life He has given you. Do not be afraid. Indeed, fear no enemy, for no one can take away what God in Christ has given to you. If you suffer for the sake of Jesus, blessed are you. Again, it doesn’t mean your life in Christ will be easy, but you can trust that your Savior can and will use everything in this world and life for your good. We may not always be given to understand how, but faith clings to that word of promise.

            The world tends to think of love only as an emotion. The Bible speaks of love as action. Jesus didn’t just say “I love you;” He lived love, especially on the cross. He has given that love to you so that, in all your relationships, living as Christians in an unChristian world, you can love without fear, for “perfect love casts out fear.” That perfect love is Christ: His forgiveness, His promises, and His victory...and all of that love is for you. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

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Sermon for 3/11/2020: Midweek of Lent II (UnChristian World Series)

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Christianity in an UnChristian World: Unity

I Peter 2

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

           

Last week, meditating on being Christians in an UnChristian world, St. Peter told us that our identity as baptized children of God means we are called to holiness, a life set apart from what the world believes and offers. In chapter 2 of his first letter, Peter builds on that identity. You are meant to be holy, but there’s more to the story—more blessing, more grace. When you are baptized into Christ, you are baptized into a community, into a Church, into “a spiritual house, a holy priesthood.” That also is your identity, a reality greater than just being on your own, or just “you and Jesus.”

            This is not an original concept from Peter. All of Scripture speaks of God’s people as a group, a community, a family. When there are individuals, like Moses or Abraham, they are called to be the beginning of a community, or one will be formed around them. In the beginning God said, “It is not good for man to be alone;” that is still true. In all times and places, God gathers the solitary together. You are not on your own; you are part of a family, one that God has been building from the beginning; one which includes you, people long gone, and people yet to come. Time and place are no barrier to God. And so, Peter says, you are “living stones.” Those stones “are being built up” together into “a spiritual house,” which is built on the foundation of Christ, “the chief cornerstone.”

            Even though this is not a new teaching, it is a particularly challenging one, especially since our culture values self-sufficiency and treasures self-achievement as perhaps never before. This is aided by technology, which has created the paradox that we live in today. Technology has made it possible to communicate quickly with people around the world, yet we prisoners to the devices in our hands, chained to our chairs, seldom meeting each other face to face. We have thousands of virtual friends, and yet we do not even know the people who live next door. The neighborhood church used to be the place of gathering and socialization; now social media, chat rooms, and video interaction have tried to make the Church obsolete. The world has never been so crowded, and yet people have never been so alone.

            I’m not blindly bashing technology. I met my wife on the Internet. Technology is a good gift from God. Like any other gift, it is only evil when we make evil use of it. While technology was not nearly as advanced in Peter’s day, those Christians also found themselves alone and separated because persecution had scattered them to the ends of the earth in fear.

            Yes, we are more than how we define ourselves. But we are also not defined by our location or our friends list. True unity exceeds the divisions this world and its prince can erect. Our unity is in Christ. We are members of His Body, joined to Him through water and the Word, forgiven and raised with Him to new life. Peter summarizes that by calling you “a living stone.”

            Let us ask the good Lutheran question: What does this mean? It means you have been put where you are by the Builder. You fit there. You stand on the shoulders of the ones under you; you support the ones above you; you stand side-by-side with those next to you. Those stones around you might have pointy edges, rough spots, holes, bumps, and all kinds of imperfections. That doesn’t matter; you have them too. They are different than you, but at the same time they are one with you in this Church, built by Christ. Without you, there is a hole. You belong here.

            It may not always seem that way. You may seem smaller than some other stones, or older, or not as strong, or not as beautiful; but you matter here. This is where God has placed you: resting on Christ the Cornerstone and linked to fellow living stones, your brothers and sisters in Christ. What we do, we do together. What we do affects others, whether we realize it or not. Again, it’s not going to be easy. Peter’s hearers were scattered all over an unchristian world; you and I will leave this place today and live in the midst of a world increasingly hostile to Christ, His Word, His values, and His people. What we do and how we live does not depend on whether or not the world is friendly or receptive to us. It is simply how we live as this Body, this building of Christ, for the glory of His name.

            What if others do not live the same? What if they repay us evil for the good Christ does through us? What if they do not help, but hurt? It doesn’t matter; they did the same to Jesus. He will sustain you through trial and hardship and persecution—even to a martyr’s death. He sustains you through communion: communion with your brothers and sisters in Christ, and, more importantly, communion with Him through His Word and His own body and blood. So do not neglect the Word of God. It is your “pure spiritual milk,” and it will sustain you and strengthen you. Hear it; read it; pray it; be washed in it; eat it. For indeed “you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

Sermon for 3/4/2020: Sermon for Midweek of Lent I (UnChristian World Series)

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Christianity in an UnChristian World: Holiness

I Peter 1

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

           

            Who are you? Some people answer that question with their name. For example, I’m Alan Kornacki, Jr. That tells you I’m named after my father. It tells you that I’m of Polish or Slavic descent. Other people will answer with their occupation or their educational status. Again using myself as an example, I’m a pastor. I have a Master’s Degree, which I earned from Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catharines, Ontario. That tells some people a great deal about me, and they can guess other things. Still others might answer that they’re a work in progress; they don’t really know who they are. And for some, the answer changes. One such example lately is the trend of claiming a gender other than the one your DNA determines, and even having surgery in an attempt to change that reality. 

            In his first letter, St. Peter starts out by giving quite a different answer. He starts out by saying that your identity is of one who is born again, “begotten again to a living hope.” That identity is above all others: you are a baptized child of God. We hold Baptism in high regard, so Peter’s words may not sound surprising. But to those Peter was writing to—first century Christians under persecution, scattered throughout the known world, with an uncertain future—this was critical. A Christian does not define himself, and the world does not define what it means to be a Christian. This is our Lord’s job. And His definition and identity is a reality far greater than your name, your nationality, your work, or any other way you think of yourself. Who are you? You are baptized. You are a child of your Father who art in heaven.

            And that means a number of things. First, Peter says, it means that, even if you are homeless here on earth, you have a home: “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” Jesus told His disciples just before His crucifixion, “I will not leave you orphans.” Those who are born again as children of God are cared for by their Father, through Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. You are not on your own. God does not leave nor forsake His children.

            Part of that care, however, is trial or testing. Precious metals are put into the fire to burn off their impurities, to make them even more pure and valuable. You are more precious than anything in this world, the crown of God’s creation. You will be proved in the same way—not as punishment, but in love, to loose your hold on the things of this world, that you would cling to God alone. He does this so that, when He comes again, you will not be holding on to your false gods and idols. Instead you will rejoice in Him and, as Peter says, receive “the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” This is why God gives you this identity: so that you will not be defined as the world identifies you, nor will you be defined by the Old Adam that still clings to you. Instead, you will live a life of holiness. 

            When we think of holiness, we usually think of a sinless life or perfection. And certainly we should be like that. But as you know, you cannot—not on your own, at least. Peter knew that well. It was Peter who told Jesus not to go to the cross. It was Peter who denied his Lord after he claimed he would be the faithful disciple. Peter knew that, if you are sinless, it is only because your sins have been washed away in the flood of Christ’s blood and forgiveness. If you are perfect, it is only because His perfection has been given to you. To be holy means to be set apart. In Baptism you have been united to Him in His death and resurrection. You have been set apart from sin and death. You have been set apart from the world by being called into the church. You have been set apart from your former ignorance by the enlightening of the Holy Spirit.

            Even in times of persecution or trouble, this reality does not change. This is the reality that will carry you through all trials and temptations—even through death itself—to life forever with God. The things of this world are passing away. “All flesh is as grass,” Peter says, “but the word of the Lord endures forever.” His Word of grace, His Word of forgiveness, His Word which is living and working in you—this Word will never fail. If you know who you are in Christ, then nothing the world claims about you matters; nothing the world does to you matters. You, your future, and your eternal home are safe in Christ. As Luther writes, “And take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife, though these all be gone, our victory has been won; the kingdom our remaineth.”

            That doesn’t make it easy. Satan is going to hound you every step of the way. That’s why Peter is writing to his dear Christian flock that has been driven out and scattered. He wants them to know that there is a greater reality than what is seen and felt. Yes, you are Christians living in an unchristian world, but you live in Christ through Baptism, and Christ lives in you. No matter what this world brings upon you, you have confidence and hope. You are children of God, holy and precious to Him. Do not be afraid to live in that truth, that reality. “Be holy,” just as Christ is holy for you. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

           

            The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

Sermon for 2/26/2020: Ash Wednesday (UnChristian World Series)

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Christianity in an UnChristian World: Called

II Peter 1:2-11

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

           

            Throughout the season of Lent, we will be looking at the life of the Christian in an Un-Christian world. In our Wednesday midweek services we will examine this life through the lens of the First Letter of St. Peter. Tonight we will look at the life of the Christian through the lens of our Epistle reading, which we find in the first chapter of the Second Letter of St. Peter. If you look at that reading, you see a whole list of ideals that are desirable for the life of a Christian. And any time you see a list of ideals—whether it’s this list, the list in I Timothy describing the life of a pastor, or any other such list—the list is intimidating.

            And what a list it is that Peter gives us to consider: “diligence,” “faith,” “virtue,” “knowledge,” “self-control,” “perseverance,” “godliness,” “brotherly kindness,” “love.” This is what we are called to as Christians. And if you consider the other readings appointed for Ash Wednesday and the ideals they include, that list is overwhelming. It is enough to make a person cry out in despair.

            Peter chooses a significant word to describe all this. He says that God in Christ has “called” you. He has called you to be faithful to His Word, faithful to His commands, faithful to Him. This Christian life stands opposed to the world. The world does not desire diligence, except to watch that a Christian does not impose his virtues on others. The world certainly does not crave self-control. In fact, the world is especially fond of self-indulgence: sexual promiscuity and its most ample fruit, abortion; gluttony; and instant gratification of the need for things. And the world has perverted love to include living together outside of marriage, homosexual marriage, open marriages, multiple spouses, and other abominations in the Lord’s sight.

            Pay attention to your life. Keep striving for love and knowledge of the truth. Work to increase your self-control and patience. Everyone has room for improvement in these things. Work on them diligently. Watch your life, and notice when you fail. If you do not notice any failures, then surely you are not diligently paying attention to these virtues as you should. When you notice your failures, come quickly to Christ for forgiveness. His door is always open to give you His grace. Your diligent striving for virtue will inevitably lead you to realize that you are guilty of much sin. So come, return to your Baptism through confession and absolution. Come to eat and drink His body and blood, given into death for your sin.

            This is what the life of a baptized Christian is about. We know that Baptizing with water “signifies that the Old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil lusts.” This Baptism also shows that “a new man should daily come forth and rise, who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.” As St. Paul wrote in Romans chapter 6, “We were buried with Him by Baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” This is the great miracle of salvation: you have been rescued from the corruption of the world. The sinful desires in every sinful heart lead only to death and condemnation. Spiritual corruption leads to eternal damnation.

            Yet Christ has rescued you by covering you with Himself. In Baptism, you put on Christ. The image of the Son of God covers you forever. You share with Christ in everything that is in God: His righteousness, wisdom, eternal life, endless peace, blessedness, and everything good that can be named. You share His almighty power against your enemies: sin, death, Satan, and even your own flesh. It’s not that you can go around doing whatever miracle pops into your head. It is not that you are God. But you share in His nature, for Christ has made Himself one with you. God so closely dwells with you that you cannot be separated from Him.

            Luther said, “Whatever someone does to you, he must do to God, for whoever wants to crush a Christian must crush God.” And no one can crush God, as Good Friday and Easter clearly demonstrate. They killed the Son of God and put Him in a tomb, but He came forth more victorious than ever. And His life, His resurrection, and His victory, are also all yours. Sinners are called and equipped to be one with their glorious Savior! 

            As you strive to be a Christian in this unChristian world, the Holy Spirit will preserve you in repentance and faith. He will keep you steadfast so that you may rejoice in the incredible blessing you have received through His innocent sacrifice and precious Blood, so that you may cling ever tighter to His holy Word of grace, now and forevermore. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

           

            The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.